This Ruined Puzzle
by LandminesLandslides
Summary: Jade's mind is like a ruined puzzle, scattered into incoherent pieces. What happens when Tori tries to put them back together? The whole cast will be there, but it's mostly Tori/Jade. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

This Ruined Puzzle

By LandminesLandslides

Chapter One

(Tori's POV)

Another glorious day at Hollywood Arts High. That's not sarcasm, although it might sound like it. It's lunchtime right now, but our group isn't gathered at our usual table. Cat, Andre, Robbie and I have decided to go to this new Mexican place that just opened up.

"Yo, I heard that the burritos at Luisa's taste like they were made by angels," Andre is saying.

"Ooh, I love angels," Cat squeals, causing me to laugh. Typical Cat.

"I doubt that," Robbie says, "It's just one of a million Mexican places here. What makes you think this one's any better than the others."

"Man, a friend of mine ate there last week," Andre insists, "He said the food there was second to none."

"You know," I tell the two of them, "Instead of standing here arguing over how good the food is, we could just go there ourselves and find out." They all nod and I let out a sigh of relief. Being part of our little group certainly has been interesting lately. So with the burrito dispute averted, we start heading off campus. As we walk, I noticed something that seems out of place: Jade is sitting against one of the outer walls of the school, with her knees hugged up against her chest. It doesn't seem right to me, since Jade typically has her own lunch crowd, whether it's us or someone else. It's not like her to be alone.

"Hey guys," I say to the others, "Why don't you go ahead? I have to take care of something."

"Are you sure?" Cat asks, "We only have a little time to eat you know."

"Don't worry," I tell her, "I'll catch up. Just go ahead." The others nod and start to walk off. In the meantime, I head over to where Jade is sitting. "Hey there," I say to her.

"What do you want?" she asks, looking up at me. Her voice isn't as angry as I anticipated, but I'm still getting the impression that she isn't happy to see me.

"Just to talk," I say, "It's not like you to be sitting alone at lunch. Not to mention that you're not eating."

"What does it matter to you?" Jade asks bitterly.

"I just wanted to see if everything is all right," I say carefully, trying not to come off as too confrontational.

"You're weird," she says, giving me a strange look.

"Really?" I ask laughing, "How so?"

"Well, I've done nothing but be cruel to you since you got to this school and you come over here to see if I'm okay," she said.

"Well, it hasn't been all bad," I tell her with a smile, "Cleaning up the auditorium together was kind of fun. Of course, we did have to do three extra detentions for bailing on it, but still." Jade suddenly laughs. "What's so funny?" I ask her.

"I just don't get you," she says, "None of this makes any sense."

"Well, what kind of person would I be if I thought you were suffering and didn't come over to see if you were all right?" I ask her.

"You'd be normal," she tells me, "That's how normal people treat the ones who hurt them."

"Normal is overrated," I tell her, mimicking what Andre said to me on my first day.

"Well, whatever," she says, giving me a hard stare, "I don't feel like talking about this with you." Just after she says this, her stomach starts to growl.

"Fine," I say, "But why don't you come to Luisa's with me? You need to eat something." I reach down with one hand, offering to help her up.

"I don't really want to go anywhere," she says, looking away from me.

"If you're going to skip meals, I'll report you to the guidance counselor," I tell her, "I'm sure you don't want to be a blip on his radar." Jade gives me a defiant look, which I return with one of my own. Eventually, her face softens and she gives a resigned sigh.

"Fine," she says, reaching up to grab my hand. I tug her to her feet and begin to lead the way.

(Jade's POV)

Tori Vega. I cannot figure that girl out. I mean, no matter how mean I am to her, it's like she doesn't care. That time I framed her for injuring me and she found out, she took detention rather than rat me out. She even helped me out with the Beck situation and that was after I said that she wasn't cool. She didn't even mind when I got a makeup stain on the pillow that her grandmother made for her. I suppose the right thing to do would be to thank her for putting up with all of my drama, but I'm no t really sure how. Gratitude isn't really my specialty. Oh well. Here goes everything.

"Hey Vega," I call out to her. I immediately regret it. My voice sounds shaky and nervous.

"Tori," she corrects me, pausing to look back at me.

"Right. Tori," I say back, "Listen, I just want to say thank you. You know, for dealing with all of the stuff I put you through." I think she's going to laugh at me as soon as the words come out of my mouth, but to my surprise she doesn't. She just shakes her head at me.

"It's really no big deal," she says, "I mean, it's like I told you before: neither of us are going to have any fun at school if we're just fighting all the time." I don't answer that statement. Instead I just follow along silently, staring down at my boots and thinking. Should I really tell her what's on my mind? Maybe. To her credit, she _is _the only one who has actually asked. It doesn't seem like any of my usual crowd is interested. They're all too busy being wrapped up in their own lives. But right now I haven't got the guts to ask her. Maybe I will after my stomach stops growling.

"Hey Tori," I say, and she turns back to me once again, "If you tell anyone about that thank you I just gave you, I'll knock your teeth out."

"Duly noted," she says, and this time she does laugh, "My lips are sealed." I nod silently and keep walking. Eventually, Luisa's comes into view and I follow Tori inside silently.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

By LandminesLandslides

(Andre's POV)

"Hey, isn't Tori taking kind of a long time?" Cat is asking, "We only have like fifteen minutes left to eat. If she doesn't get here soon, she's going to go hungry."

"Why do you think I ordered so much?" I ask her with a grin, "If Tori doesn't get here, then I'll make sure she gets the leftovers."

"Isn't that her coming through the door right now?" Robbie asks, pointing at the restaurant entrance.

"You're right," Cat says, "Looks like she brought a guest too." I glance next to her. Cat is right. Tori and Jade are walking over to us together.

"Hey guys," Tori says, "Sorry I took so long."

"No worries," Robbie answers, "But you brought _her _along?"

"You have a problem with that?" Tori counters, causing Jade to look a bit uncomfortable. I can sort of understand that. Jade isn't used to having someone else defend her. She's probably trying to figure out how to process Tori's actions. See, if Jade goes after someone, she expects them to either fight back or run in scared. Tori's attempts to be friendly are probably confusing her. Jade's easy to read that way.

"Back off Robbie," I tell him, "If Tori wants to bring Jade along, that's cool." Tori shoots me a grateful look and sits down, with Jade following suit.

"This one's for you," Cat says, pushing a plate with a beef burrito on it towards Tori.

"Whoa," Jade says, speaking for the first time since she got in the restaurant, "That thing is huge." As if on cue, her stomach growls.

"Here, I'll split it with you," Tori says, grabbing a knife and carefully dividing the burrito in half, "Dig in." Without waiting to be told twice, Jade grabs her half of the burrito and begins attacking it like she hasn't seen food in ages. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her in the lunch area for the past few days.

"You really should eat more slowly," I tell her, which causes her to glare at me. Guess she's not interested in my advice. Maybe she should be interested though, because she's starting to cough.

"Oh my God, is she choking?" Cat asks, sounding alarmed.

"No," Tori says, "It looks like she just ate a little too fast. That's not good when you have spicy food. Well, it's not good with any kind of food, but especially not spicy food." She grabs the glass of water that's sitting in front of her and hands it to Jade. "Drink this slowly," she tells Jade, who takes the glass and drinks it carefully. Eventually, she recovers her breath and stops coughing.

"Are you okay?" Cat asks Jade in a worried tone. Jade nods slowly.

"I need some air," she says and gets up from the table, walking outside.

"Jade's been acting really weird lately," Robbie says, "Is everything all right with her?"

"I'm not sure," Tori says, sounding worried, "I think something's bothering her, but she won't tell me what's going on."

"I hope she's okay," Cat says, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. It surprises me a little bit, since Cat and Jade aren't exactly best friends. Not enemies either, but still. On the other hand, Cat seems to be able to manage some level of concern for just about anyone, when she's not worrying about whether they're judging her or not.

"I'll go out and talk to her," Tori says, "Hey Andre, do me a favor and get my half of the burrito wrapped up, will you?"

"Sure," I say, "I'll come bring it to you later." She gives me another grateful look and heads outside.

(Tori's POV)

The air outside of Luisa's is cool, despite the fact that it's only around 12:30 in the afternoon. A bit of a breeze has picked up since I brought Jade here. Speaking of Jade, she's standing against the wall, staring off into the distance.

"Hey," I say to her, "You feeling all right?"

"Fine," she says, "I just ate a little too fast, like you said"

"Maybe that's because you haven't been eating for the last few days," I say. I'll admit, I'm fishing for information a bit here, but it's for her own good. Something's obviously bothering her and she needs to talk to someone.

"Look, I told you earlier," she says, "I don't feel like talking right now. Please, just leave me alone." Guess my lousy attempt to get her to talk to me was pretty obvious. Wait a minute, stop the presses. Did Jade just say "please?" To me, of all people? I guess that if this is big enough for her to do something like that, then I can be patient with her.

"All right," I said, "But just remember that I'm around if you change your mind." I give her a small smile, but she looks away.

"I'm going back to school now," she says, standing up, "Lunch is almost over." I want to stop her, but she's already gone before I can even say anything.

(Robbie's POV)

I can't believe Tori brought Jade to lunch with her. It's true that Jade does seem a little bothered by something, so I can understand Tori wanting to help out, but bringing her to lunch here seemed over the top. I mean, Jade doesn't even like us. Why would Tori think bringing her here would help her feel better? That girl is so hard to understand. Well anyway, Jade's gone now. The whole burrito incident was a little shocking, but I guess it's a good thing that she's okay.

"Hey," Cat says, "We have to get going."

"Oh you're right," I say looking down at my watch, "Class is starting soon isn't it?"

"Well what are we waiting for?" Andre asks, "Let's go." The three of us all walk outside. Jade and Tori aren't there anymore. Guess they already headed back. The three of us head back in silence, not saying much.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

(Jade's POV)

I'm going to do it. As soon as Sikowitz's class let's out, I'm going to talk to Tori about what's on my mind. I have to tell someone about it before I burst from the stress and she's the only one who cares enough to ask me. First I have to sit back and watch this acting exercise though. Honestly, I'd like to spend a day inside Sikowitz's brain to see how it works. I struggle to keep my mind on watching the exercise. Anything to keep tears from pouring out of my eyes right here and now. This is harder than it looks, but I guess it means that I really do have a future as an actress. I take a deep breath and keep watching. Eventually, the school bell rings and the other students begin to file out. I sit for a minute working up the courage to do this. I take another breath and approach Tori cautiously.

"Tori," I say, hating how weak my voice sounds. She turns to me and I feel a little better. I was worried she would ignore me. "I was just wondering…well…I was wondering if your offer to talk was still on the table." Now she starts to laugh. "What's so funny?" I ask her.

"Jade," she says, smiling at me, "The offer didn't have an expiration date or anything. If you want to talk, then I'm more than willing to listen."

"Oh..okay," I say akwardly. I know I should thank her, but I don't think I have it in me right now.

"Let's go somewhere quiet," she says and for a moment I wonder if she's reading my thoughts. She takes my hand and starts to lead me outside. Once we get out, she takes me over to a bench and we both sit down. "I hope this is okay," Tori says, "Sometimes I come out here when I need to be alone with my thoughts."

"I guess it's fine," I tell her, "So…I'm not really sure where to begin." I'm starting to feel a little panicked. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"That's okay," she says to me, placing a hand on my shoulder, "Just take your time." I nod slowly and take a breath before starting to speak.

(Tori's POV)

"It's Beck," Jade says to me, "He's hiding something from me." I'm a little surprised to hear that. I keep my hand firmly clasped on her shoulder as a gesture of support.

"What makes you think so?" I ask her, hoping I can help her out.

"For the last three days, he's been walking the other way when he sees me in the hallway." she says, "When I call him, his phone rings twice and then goes straight to voice mail. He doesn't even answer my e-mails or texts." She looks really torn up, like she's about to start crying.

"Look," I say, squeezing her shoulder a bit, "I can see that this is really bugging you, so I'll talk to Beck for you."

"You'd do that?" she asks me.

"Of course," I answer, "You're his girlfriend. If he's avoiding you, you have a right to know why."

"Yeah I guess," she says, "Thanks."

"It's nothing," I tell her, "Just hang in there."

(Beck's POV)

The hallways sure our crowded, considering that the final class let out over a half an hour ago. Finally I can get out of this place. Hope I can pull it off without Jade seeing me. I know avoiding her probably isn't the right thing to do, but if I come out tell her what I'm feeling, she'd never understand. I carefully look around the nearest exit to see if she's there, but it looks like she's somewhere else. I start to head for the door when a voice calls out to me.

"Beck!" the voice calls and I turn to see Tori coming up behind me. She looks wiped out, like she ran here, "I've been looking all over for you. I need to talk to you."

"Can it wait?" I ask her, hoping I don't sound agitated, "I really need to get out of here."

"Before Jade sees you?" she asks in a tone that makes me feel like I've been slapped in the face, "Why are you avoiding her?"

"It's not like that…" I start to say, but she cuts me off.

"Really?" she asks, "Because walking away from her in the halls, not answering her phone calls and ignoring her text messages might be considered avoidance. So what's going on?"

"Look, I can't tell you," I answer, trying to get out of this situation ASAP.

"Fine," she says, "But you'd better tell Jade. She's tearing her hair out over this and frankly, you owe her an explanation." Her words sting a little, but in a way I suppose she has a point. I didn't really think it was bothering Jade that much. Nothing ever seems to bother her, so I figured she wouldn't even notice. I guess I was wrong. But when I do tell Jade what I'm really thinking, she isn't going to like it at all.

"Fine then," I tell Tori, "I'll explain to her why I'm avoiding her."

"Good," Tori says, "Try not to forget." I nod, knowing that Tori will track me down and nag me about it as many times as it takes. She seems satisified and walks away, allowing me to leave.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

(Tori's POV)

School again. I haven't seen Jade since our conversation yesterday. I hope she's doing okay. I have Cat keeping an eye on her to make sure that she's taking care of herself, although she probably would have done that even if I hadn't asked. One thing I can say for sure is that if Beck is still avoiding her, I'm going to roast him alive. In the meantime, I've got something else pressing on my mind: The instrument dilemma. The French horn is definitely not working out. Besides, I'm a singer. I need an instrument that doesn't keep me from being able to sing, which is why I'm staring at pictures of guitars as I walk through the hallways. I'm on my way to music class, so it seems like the appropriate thing to be doing. But there's so many variables to choose from: Electric or acoustic? Light Tension or heavy tension strings. Maybe medium. I spot Andre in the halls and it occurs to me that he might know.

"Hey Andre," I call to him, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he says, "What's up?"

"I'm looking at guitars," I tell him, "I was hoping I can get your advice on what kind I should get. I can't decide on whether I should get an acoustic or an electric, or what kind of strings I should get."

"Let's see," he says, "Well, as a beginner you may want to start with an acoustic. I think that would really work with the type of songs you sing too. As for strings, I recommend that you start with light tension bronze strings. Heavy tension can be harder to handle when you're starting out."

"Thanks Andre," I tell him, "You're the best." He shakes his head and laughs.

"It's nothing'," he says, "Hey you better get to class. You don't want to show up late."

"Yeah," I answer, "I'll catch you later." I hurry off to music class, with my mind temporarily occupied with the thought of guitars.

(Cat's POV)

Keeping an eye on Jade without making it look obvious is kind of awkward, but I promised Tori I would. Besides, I'm worried about Jade. I can see why Tori would be too. Jade's been acting like something's bothering her lately and for some reason today it seems worse. I tried to talk to her earlier and she wouldn't even look at me, which is odd for her. We're not best friends or anything, but usually our conversations are pretty pleasant. In any event, we're in dance class together now, so keeping an eye on her isn't going to be as difficult. In the hallways I have to worry about not looking like I'm following her. Mind you, she's a really good dancer. We're learning some salsa moves today and Jade really seems to be enjoying herself. She always looks so free when she's dancing, like everything else that's on her mind just disappears. But I'm worried that as soon as the bell rings, which according to the clock on the wall will happen in another twenty minutes, the class we'll be over and she'll snap right back into this bad mood. I've seen it before. Well, I might as well go with it for now, so I get up from my seat and start doing the moves with her. I can see why she enjoys this so much. All you have to do is think about the moves. Nothing else matters.

The time passes by quickly and before I even know what's happening the bell is ringing. Okay, the next part is important. Lunch is after this class and I'm supposed to contact Tori if Jade does anything other than head for the lunch area. I can see why Tori is worried, what with Jade having skipped so many meals that she viciously attacked a burrito yesterday and choked on it. I try to blend into the rest of the lunch crowd, but it's difficult because Jade isn't heading in the same direction. I stay back, trying not be noticed. If she finds out I'm watching her, she's going to be really angry. It's not hard though, since she seems to be preoccupied by something else. She's walking up the stairs that lead to the third floor. I don't know what's up there, but my gut tells me that it isn't good. I stop following and grab my cell phone out of my pocket. I turn it on and quickly punch in Tori's number.

(Jade's POV)

The roof access door should be around here somewhere. Tori would be so angry at me for what I'm about to do, but I don't care. There are just some things she doesn't understand. I stare down at my boots as I think about everything that happened. I can't believe that's how Beck really feels. Part of me still wants to deny it. Some other distant part of me wants to make things right. But mostly I just want the pain to go away. Not just the pain I feel, but the pain that I seem to make others feel. Tears stream down my face and fall around me as I finally locate the roof access door and open it, emerging onto the rooftop. Here it is. The end of it all. I quietly move towards the edge of the roof. I feel afraid, but I know that's just my survival response kicking in. I'll do this. I'll end the curse that is my life here and now. I step up onto the ledge. Just one more step is all it takes.

"Jade," Tori's voice calls to me from the doorway, "Don't do it." Something in her voice makes me turn around. She's walking towards me.

"Stay back!" I yell at her, "That's far enough!"

"All right," she says gently.

"How did you know I was here?" I demand.

"Cat," she says in a calm tone of voice, "I had her keep an eye on you to make sure you were okay. When she told me you went up to the third floor, the only reason I could think of for that was that you were heading for the rooftop."

"Don't try to stop me!" I yell, tears still streaming down my face, "This is something I have to do!"

"I don't understand," Tori says, "Didn't Beck come to talk to you?"

"He _left _me!" I tell her hysterically, "He said I wasn't the girl he fell in love with anymore. He talked about the way I'd been acting towards you and said the Jade he loved wasn't like that."

"Did he say what he meant?" Tori asks me, still using that same gentle tone.

"I know what he meant!" I say through the tears, "He meant the way I've been afraid of losing him to you. He said that the Jade he fell in love with knew him better than that."

"You thought you were going to lose Beck to me?" she says, sounding more than a little surprised.

"You're everything I've never been," I tell her, shocked that I can admit that much to her, "You're beautiful, while I'm just plain. You have this amazing talent at singing, while I have to work tirelessly to be good at acting. You're clearly better than me. Why would I not be worried about losing him to you?"

"Jade," she says, "None of that is true. You're not plain. I don't know how you could even think that about yourself. Beck would never fall for someone who was plain. As for talent, that doesn't mean I'm better than you, it just means I'm lucky. You're an amazing actress. You work harder at it than anybody I've ever seen and you're really good."

"It doesn't matter!" I yell, "Beck's gone! He was the one constant, good thing I had here and now I've pushed him away just like I do to everyone else! "

"That's not true," she says again, "Beck isn't the only good thing you have here. I'm here for you and so is Cat. We'll help you."

"There's no way Cat would go out of her way to be there for me," I respond, "She knows what kind of person I am."

"If you don't believe me, then look down at the ground," Tori says. Reluctantly, I do that and I'm shocked at what I see. Cat is standing directly under me with her arms held out. I know it's her because I can recognize her red hair. "Did you see?" Tori asks, "If you jump, Cat's prepared to catch you, even if she hurts herself doing it." She's right. Wow. Cat's quite an amazing girl. I turn back towards Tori, who is now standing near the ledge with both arms extended toward me. "Please," she says softly, "Please come down. I'll help you through this. You don't have to end your own life." I look away for a moment, more unsure of myself than ever. I know this is going to be hard, but I think maybe that I really should let her help.

"Okay," I say quietly, stepping down and falling into Tori's arms. Tears are pouring out from my eyes again. She wraps me up in a tight hug and I bury my head in her shoulder.

"It's okay," she whispers gently, "Cry as much as you need."

"Apples," I say through my tears.

"Hmmm?" she asks me.

"Your hair," I say, looking up at her and smiling slightly, "It smells like apples."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

(Tori's POV)

We're at my place now. I brought Jade here after school. I figure since everyone was in her face at school, she would probably appreciate not having to deal with her parents doing the same.

"You know, you don't have to do this," she said, "My parents are so absorbed in their own little world that they probably won't even trouble themselves with something like this."

"I want to do this," I tell her, "And you can't mean that. I'm sure that your parents really care about you."

"Have you ever met my parents?" Jade asks, "The two most self-absorbed people you've ever met. Guess that's where I get it from."

"Hey, no self-flagellation on my watch," I tell her with a grin, "Just make yourself comfortable."

"Are you sure Trina will be okay with this?" she asks me, a hint of worry in her voice.

"She'll put up with it or I'll flush her supply of makeup down the toilet," I answer, causing Jade to laugh.

"You know, I seriously misread you," Jade says, "Now I have a huge problem."

"Problem?" I ask her, "What kind of problem?"

"Well, I've been thinking about all of the stuff you've done for me," she says, "and I don't think I can ever do enough to repay you."

"Well, I know how you can start," I tell her, "Try and smile more often. You have a beautiful smile. It's a crime that you hide it from the people around you."

"Smile huh?" Jade says, appearing to try it out. Eventually a small smile plays across her lips, "How was that?"

"Perfect," I tell her and she shoots me another one. Her eyes appear to wander to the table, where a magazine about guitars is sitting.

"You're into the guitar?" she asks me.

"Well, I have to play an instrument and I figured I could play this one and sing at the same time," I tell her.

"You'll need someone to teach you right?" she asks.

"I suppose," I say, "Is that an offer?" She laughs slightly.

"Yeah," she says, "We'll call it part of my repayment."

"Jade, you don't have to repay me," I tell her, but she shakes her head.

"I want to," she says, "I know I don't seem like it at first, but I do have principles. If someone does something nice for me, then I should do something for them. That's just how I am." I have to admit, I'm impressed. Jade's really pretty cool.

"All right, in that case I accept the offer," I tell her, "But in exchange, you can consider your debt paid. And the next time I do something nice for you, you don't owe me anything."

"Are you sure?" she asks me, looking a little confused.

"Yeah," I tell her, "You know, sometimes people just do things to be nice. You don't always have to worry about returning the favor."

"I guess," she says, "So can I ask for something kind of big then?"

"What is it?" I ask her.

"I think you're right," she says, "About my parents I mean. I really don't think I can face them. Not to mention my sister."

"You have a sister?" I ask her.

"Yeah, little miss perfect," she says, scowling a bit, "Goes to a 'normal' school, doesn't have 'crazy dreams' of being an actress, and gets good grades in 'subjects that really matter.'" Her speech is punctuated by air quotes.

"Your parents really say that stuff?" I ask.

"_Everyone _says that stuff," she tells me angrily, "Apparently I'm the family freak show." Now she looks really sad.

"Well, I don't think of you as a freak show," I tell her, "So what's this favor you want to ask me?"

"Well, I was hoping you'd let me crash here for a while," she says, "I mean, I wouldn't be in the way or anything. I wouldn't even mind sleeping on the couch."

"Sure," she says, "Stay as long as you like." I give her a smile and she gives me one back.

(Jade's POV)

I can't believe she actually agreed. I mean, most people I asked would have started talking about what their parents would say or something like that, but Tori just agreed like it was no big deal. I'm glad she did, but I also feel kind of bad. I mean, all this time I've been angry at her but I never really saw the kind of person she was. I try to push that thought out of my mind, knowing she wouldn't want me to be down on myself.

"I'm gonna need to go back to my place to grab some clothes," I tell her, "And since I don't want my parents seeing me, I might need your help sneaking in the window." The window to my bedroom is only as tall as me, but the climb is up a sheer wall. I know because I've snuck out through it a couple times. I've never tried to sneak _in_ though, so it's probably better if I have help.

"Helping you break into your house?" Tori said, "I'm totally there." She grins and I start to laugh.

"Thanks," I say, "You're awesome."

"For now, why don't you take a nap?" she tells me, "You've been through a lot. We can go in a couple of hours."

"Sounds like a plan," I say, "You should do the same. You've been putting up with me all day. You could probably use a rest too.

"Okay," she says, "See you in a couple of hours." She heads upstairs and soon she's out of sight. It doesn't take long for me to realize how quiet it is in here without her. Anyway, I am feeling kind of sleepy, so I decide to take her advice. I peel my boots off and plop down on the couch without even grabbing a blanket or anything. It doesn't take me long to drift off to sleep.

(Trina's POV)

Home sweet home at last. After school I went to the mall and browsed for dresses, but they were all majorly lame. Why can't the mall ever seem to keep up with the fashion curve? I got so annoyed that I had to leave after an hour. Of course, now my annoyance has just been doubled. Why? Because I just opened the door to find Jade West fast asleep on our living room couch. What in the world is she doing here? I know she's Tori's little charity case, but letting her stay here is not cool. I march quickly up to Tori's room and start pounding on the door. After a few minutes of that, she opens it. Judging by her hair, I'd guess she was asleep herself for a few minutes.

"What do you want Trina?" she asks, "I have no idea where your lip gloss is."

"What is Jade West doing here?" I demand, "Why is she sleeping on our couch?"

"She's my guest," Tori tells me, raising her voice, "She can't go back and face her parents right now."

"That's no reason to bring her here," I tell her, raising my own voice to match hers, "You can't just let her in here like she's some stray cat. Go tell her she has to leave. Now!"

"Not gonna happen," Tori tells me firmly, "Maybe you've forgotten, but Mom and Dad raised us to help other people when we have the opportunity. I'm not kicking her out."

"Fine," I tell her, "Then I will."

"You do and your entire supply of cosmetics will be getting flushed down the toilet before you even know what's happening," she warns me.

"You wouldn't!" I tell her.

"Try me!" she counters. I glare at her defiantly, but I know that she really will do what she's threatening and I don't want to have to buy an all new makeup set.

"Fine," I tell her, "Let her stay if you want, but I won't lift a finger to help out. She's your charity case, you deal with her."

"I intend to," Tori says, "Don't worry. I won't ask you for any help." I nod silently, still a little angry, and walk up to my room to be alone.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

(Cat's POV)

I haven't seen Jade since the incident at lunch. I'm really glad that she didn't jump. Of course, if she did I would have caught her in a heartbeat. Now I'm really worried about her though. What could have hurt her so bad that she would want to kill herself? Well, whatever it was, I'm glad that Tori was able to talk her out of it. Tori's one amazing girl, being able to just forget of all the history between her and Jade like that. Anyway I'm headed back home now. I've just been to Jade's house and I found out that she's not home. That makes me even more worried. If Jade didn't return home, then where did she go? What if she's alone somewhere right now? She must be feeling so sad. I pull out my cell phone and go quickly into my list of contacts. I decide to try Andre first, since he's plugged in to everything at school. After dialing his number, I want patiently for him to pick up.

"Hey little red," Andre answers, "What's up?"

"Have you seen Jade?" I ask, sure that my voice is coming out in a panicked tone.

"Jade?" Andre asks me, "Not since the last class of the day. But I heard someone say that they saw her leave with Tori. Why don't you try her?"

"Okay," I tell him, "Thanks Andre."

"No problem, little red," he answers, "And don't sweat it too much. I'm sure Jade's doing okay." He hangs up and I dial Tori next. It rings a few times and then Tori answers.

"Cat?" she asks me, "What do you need?"

"I just want to know if you've seen Jade," I say quickly, "I went over to see her, but she wasn't home. I'm really worried about her and Andre told me that you left with her." Now I know my voice is coming out sounding hyper.

"Whoa Cat, just take it easy," she tells me, "Jade's here with me. Here, I'll let you talk to her." There's silence for a moment and then Jade's voice comes over the phone.

"Hey Cat," she said, "How's it going?"

"Jade," I say my voice filled with relief, "I've been so worried. Are you okay? I went to your house after school and you weren't home."

"I'm fine," Jade says, her voice sounding a little lighter, easier, "I'll just be crashing at Tori's place for a while. I can't deal with my family right now."

"Oh," I say, feeling a little better, "I see. Well, I'm really glad that you're okay."

"Listen Cat, I know I don't say this a lot, but thanks," she says, "It was really nice of you to be concerned about me like that."

"No need to thank me," I tell her, "See you later Jade."

"Yeah, later," she says before hanging up the phone.

(Jade's POV)

I hang up from the call with Cat and hand Tori back her cell. It's been two hours since I left school, give or take fifteen minutes. Cat called me because she found I wasn't home. If she was just calling me after finding that out, then the timing only makes sense if she walked from school to my place. She must have been _really _worried if she went to all that trouble. I never really thought that Cat would care that much for me. I've really got to start getting to know people better.

"Don't we still need to go to your place?" Tori says, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Oh yeah," I say, "Sorry, I got a little distracted. It's so amazing that Cat was worried about me like that."

"Cat's a good girl," Tori says, "She gets a little ADD sometimes, but her heart is in the right place."

"Yeah it seems like it," I tell her, "Come on, let's go. Hope you don't mind riding in my car."

"That's cool," she answers, "Beats walking right. Just let me grab something for you to pack your clothes into." She dashes out of the room and returns a few minutes later with a medium-sized duffel bag in her hand. "I think this'll work," she says. I nod and we head out to my car. I have the keys in my pocket, so I fish them out and soon we're on our way.

The ride doesn't take long. We're at my house in about half an hour. I pull the car up a bit short of the house so no one will take notice. I especially don't want my parents seeing my car through the living room window. We both step out of the car and I lead Tori to where my bedroom window is. I reach up with both arms and surprisingly I'm able to grab the windowsill. I start to pull myself up, which is tricky, but Tori gives me a hand and I'm able to climb through with relative ease. She hands up the duffel bag and I head over to my dresser. As I quietly open the drawers and start filling the bag with clothes, I can hear the familiar sounds of my house. Little miss perfect is in her bedroom chatting away with some friend I don't know. My dad's up in his study tapping away on the keys to his computer, probably drawing up another one of his spreadsheets. See, my dad runs a landscaping business from home. The one person I don't hear is my mom. She must be out on scouting for her daily pound of flesh. Mom's a tabloid photographer. In other words, she gets paid tons of money to go around snapping embarrassing photos of Hollywood's elite. It's disgusting really. Her career is definitely not something that I'm proud of.

I hurry up and finish grabbing the clothes out of my dresser. Luckily this duffel bag is pretty high capacity, so I'll have enough for a while. That's good, cause I may not feel like coming back here for a while. I carefully lower the duffel bag through the window to Tori and then I climb out the window the same way I always do. I think I managed to pull this off without anyone hearing me. Not that they were listening.

"Come on, let's go," I tell Tori. We quickly head back to the car and Tori puts the duffel bag in the backseat. I start the car again and off we go.

(Tori's POV)

Jade's quiet for most of the ride back. After about fifteen minutes I decide I need to ask what's on her mind.

"Everything all right?" I ask her, "You seem like something's bothering you."

"Is everything going to be okay between you and Trina?" she asks me.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I ask her.

"You two seemed kind of tense toward each other when we left," she says,

"Oh that," I tell her shrugging, "Trina's just being a bit stubborn about having you in the house. As soon as I buy her something like a new sundress, she'll get over it."

"Look, I'm serious," she says, "I don't want to see the two of you fight. If you aren't careful, you'll end up like me and my sister. Do you realize her and I haven't had a meaningful conversation in three years?"

"Seriously, don't worry," I assure her, "Trina and I will be fine. As for your sister, I'm sure you two will be okay too. It's just gonna take a while." She looks at me uncertainly for a moment before staying quiet again.

When we get back to my place, I step out of the car and grab the duffel bag from the back. As I'm heading towards the door, Jade says something to me.

"Tori?" she asks, her voice seeming shaky.

"Yeah?" I ask her back.

"There's something I really need to tell you," she says, "And you're probably going to laugh at me."

"I won't," I assure her, "You can tell me anything." I set down the bag and walk over to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Well," she says, "I'm not sure how to say this, so I'm just going to go for the direct approach. Tori, I think I'm in love with you." For a moment I'm stunned. I'm not exactly sure how to answer. "Go ahead," Jade says, "Laugh at me. Tell me that's the dumbest thing you've ever heard. But you've been good to me ever since we first met, even after all those times I was horrible to you. I didn't even know it then, but I really have these feelings for you. I love you." Tears are starting to stream from her eyes. I don't say anything for a minute and then I give her a warm smile.

"It's not the dumbest thing I've ever heard," I tell her as I walk over to her and wrap her in a hug, "It's beautiful. And truthfully Jade, I think I'm in love with you too." She looks up at me, tears still gleaming in her eyes.

"Seriously?" she asks me.

"Would I do this if I wasn't serious?" I ask before giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. She closes her eyes and seems to enjoy it. We stay like that for a few minutes before breaking apart.

"That was amazing," she says, smiling at me.

"Yeah," I tell her, "It really was."

"Well, I guess now that we've got our feelings out in the open, we can go spend the next six hours watching bad movies or something," Jade says, smirking at me slightly.

"Sounds like a plan to me," I tell her, "But maybe not that long. We _do _have school in the morning."

"Oh yeah," she says, "Come on, we'd better get inside. I think it's starting to get cold." I nod silently and use the key from my pocket to unlock the back door. As we walk inside, the first thought I have is how great today has been.

**A/N: Well now, it seems what I originally intended as a friendship between Jade and Tori has blossomed into a romance. This is something readers of my stories might want to get used to. Sometimes even I'm not 100% sure how things will play out until I write them. **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

(Jade's POV)

Wow, this is kind of nice. Tori and I are sitting on her couch together, watching a bad remake of the first Halloween movie and laughing at it. Mind you, the original is bad too, but this is no time for that discussion. My head is currently rested comfortably on Tori's shoulder as we watch. I used to do this with Beck, but it never really felt like this. I'd always be worried about Beck, wondering if he was secretly going out with some other girl. With Tori I just feel relaxed and calm.

"Rob Zombie should stick to music," Tori remarks, "He's a dud as a director."

"I don't really like his music that much either," I tell her with a laugh, "I know I look like a Goth chick, but I find metal music to be highly overrated. The stuff you play is much better."

"You really like my music?" she asks me, "I didn't think it was your style."

"I'm full of surprises," I tell her with a grin.

"Yeah, I can see that," she tells me, "Oh, by the way, I'm going shopping for guitars after school tomorrow, so you'll need to take the spare house key with you when we go to school. It's on the kitchen counter."

"Oh okay," I tell her, "You sure you don't need any help picking one out?"

"No," she tells me, "Andre helped me out earlier, so I pretty much know what I'm going to get."

"Oh, that's cool," I answer. I momentarily glance down at my watch. It's almost ten o clock. This movie is the second one we watched and in between that we sat and engaged in meaningless chatter for a couple of hours. It was surprisingly fun. I've learned that Tori is really into science and she learned that I love to dance. The only other person who knows about that is Cat.

"Hey, we should get some sleep," I tell her, "Early to bed, early to rise right?"

"Yeah," Tori says, walking over to stop the movie, "Good night Jade."

"Night," I tell her.

(Tori's POV)

I can't sleep tonight. My digital alarm clock reads one o clock in the morning. Normally I sleep like a baby, but tonight is different. I'm glad Jade is bouncing back. Tonight we really had a lot of fun. If you had told me when we first met that things between me and Jade would be like this, I would have said you were crazy. I mean, I always hoped Jade and I would be friends, but this is something I never could have imagined in my wildest daydreams.

I decide to head downstairs and grab a glass of milk to help me sleep. The last time I had an insomniac moment, this really helped. I have to walk through the living room to get to the kitchen, which is why I see Jade laying on the floor. Her blanket is tossed aside. She must have rolled off the couch in her sleep. It's pretty surprising that it didn't wake her up. Guess she's a sound sleeper. But I can't leave her on the ground like that, so I walk over to her and use what strength I can manage to lift her sleeping body off the ground. She's not heavy, so it's pretty easy. I gently set her down on the couch and then grab the blanket and carefully drape it over her. I realize this is the first time I've actually seen Jade sleep. She looks serene, almost peaceful. It's different from the way she's always seemed at school. Then again, maybe that was because she was always tense about Beck. It's a nice change of pace.

I quietly grab the milk from the fridge and pour myself from a glass. I take a deep breath and drink slowly. Some people prefer warm milk for this, but I like it cold. I guess I'm just different that way. Well, like I learned from the bird scene, I should be comfortable with my own choices. I like cold milk when I can't sleep. So there. As soon as I finish the glass, I put it in the sink and return upstairs to my bedroom. I settle back into my bed, feeling more relaxed now. In a few minutes, I'm drifting back into a peaceful sleep.

(Beck's POV)

Another day at school. The first day since the break-up with Jade. Word around school is that she tried to kill herself after we broke up, but Tori of all people talked her out of it. People are whispering about it as I walk towards the school entrance. Too bad whispering about that isn't _all _they're doing. No, some of them are also staring at me like I just stole the flag from the school or something. These people need to get a life. Why do any of them care whether or not Jade and I are still dating? I try to push the thoughts of Jade out of my head. Unfortunately, the sight in front of me makes that easier said and done. Jade's walking to school with _Tori_. Not only that, but it looks they're holding hands. If that's not crazy enough, Jade is smiling like a kid in a candy store. This cannot be what I think it is. Jade and Tori…together? Romantically? No way.

I take a deep breath and try to calm myself. Jade didn't kill herself and better yet, she's happy. That's a good thing right? I should be happy that she's doing okay without me right? Right. So why does what I'm seeing in front of me have me so annoyed?

(Cat's POV)

Jade and Tori are walking into the school building, holding hands tightly. Jade has a massive grin on her face. I have mixed feelings about this. I'm glad that Jade is happy, but at the same I time I can't stand this. I feel like I'm seriously missing something. What happened after Tori and Jade left school together? And what's this tight feeling that I have in the pit of my chest. Are Tori and Jade…together now? I don't like that thought. I don't want Jade to be with anyone else. I don't know how to process the feeling I'm having yet, so I walk into the building. For now, I just need to think.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

(Jade's POV)

The guidance counselor's office. To think that I would be the one called in here. I guess I knew this was coming, but I still don't want to be here. I'm fine now, so why do I have to see the guidance counselor? It's stupid.

"Jade," the guidance counselor says, "Please come in." His voice is calm and easy. I guess it's supposed to seem reassuring, but it doesn't.

"I don't need to be here," I tell the guidance counselor, "I'm doing okay now."

"You tried to jump off the roof," the guidance counselor answers, "You can't expect the school to just let that go, Jade."

"I was upset," I tell him, "I was sad because Beck left me, but I'm fine now. I'm dealing with it and I don't want to talk about it

"That's all right," the guidance counselor said, "Is there anything you do feel like talking about?"

"Well," I say uncertainly, "You're a psychologist, so you understand what motivates people right?"

"I suppose I do," he says, "Do you want to ask me something?"

"Why do you think Tori Vega always seems to be looking out for me?" I ask him.

"Well, only Tori could tell you for sure what really drives her," he says, "But if you want my best guess, I think it's because Tori cares about you. She wants you to be happy."

"But I've never done anything like that for her," I counter, "In fact, ever since she got here I've been making her life miserable."

"She obviously doesn't see things that way," the counselor said, "I think you should be grateful that she cares enough to be there for you."

"I am," I tell him, "Especially because no one else seems to. I mean, the whole time I've been at this school people have been running scared from me, but she didn't. That's a quality I can admire." I'm starting to realize that I don't sound like my usual self.

"I'm glad to hear that," the guidance counselor says, "Well Jade, it seems like you're doing okay, so I'm going to let you go now. You won't have to come here again." Those are the words I've been waiting for. I stand up, grab my backpack and silently leave the office.

As soon as I get out of there, I find my path blocked by Beck.

"What do you want Beck?" I ask him, glaring. I'm still pretty mad at him.

"I never figured you were bi," he says, "You and Tori huh?"

"What's it to you?" I ask him. I'm not going to take any crap from him.

"You can't date her," he tells me.

"Why? Because _you _still love me?" I ask him sardonically, "It's a little late to be having second thoughts, Beck."

"Don't talk to me like that," he says, glaring back at me, "I loved you. I cared about you."

"You threw me away Beck," I counter, "As soon as you decided you didn't like me anymore, you got rid of me. Tori was there to take care of me."

"I want you back Jade," he says, sounding desperate.

"Tough," I tell him, walking past him, "You blew it Beck."

"Don't walk away from me Jade," he yells, "This conversation isn't over."

"It is for me," I tell him and then hurry back to class before he can stop me.

(Tori's POV)

This music class is really cool. We're learning about older music today. Ragtime and stuff. Scott Joplin. What a guy. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jade walk back into the classroom. She looks really distressed. She goes back and sits down, staring at her feet. Now I'm concerned. What happened with the guidance counselor? Giving an apologetic look to the teacher, I walk over to Jade and grab her hand, pulling her over to someplace quiet.

"What's going on?" I ask her, "Did something happen with the guidance counselor?"

"Beck," she mutters quietly.

"What about him?" I ask.

"He came up to me outside of the counselor's office," she says, "He told me he wants me back."

"I see," I tell her, "Well, what do _you _want?"

"I'm not interested in having him back," she says, "But I'm scared. He seemed really angry. He said that the conversation wasn't over. What if he tries to hurt me?"

"You think he will?" I ask, "I mean, Beck is pretty laid back. Do you really think he'd go that far over this?"

"I don't know," she says honestly, "When he said he wanted me back, he sounded like it would be the end of the world if I said no. But I'm still not interested in taking him back. You're the one I want to be with."

"Well don't worry," I tell her hoping she'll feel reassured, "I won't let Beck hurt you. If he does anything out of line, I'll make sure the whole school knows about it. And if he comes after you while I'm there, I'll fight to protect you."

"No," she says, "I don't want you putting yourself at risk too."

"That's my call," I tell her, "I'm not just leaving you to deal with this alone. That wouldn't be me."

"In that case, thank you," she says, "I want you to know that I really appreciate everything you're doing for me."

"Once again, it's nothing Jade," I tell her, "Don't worry about it." Our conversation is cut short by the sound of the bell ringing. Class is over. The time sure flew by quickly. "Come on, let's go," I say to Jade. She nods and we start to head out. I feel a hand on my wrist. I turn around and Cat's there, looking slightly panicked. "Hey Cat, what's up?" I ask.

"Is it true?" she asks, "You and Jade?" I look at Jade, wanting to make sure it's okay if I answer.

"It's true," Jade says and Cat's face falls a little, "Hey, what's wrong?" Jade asking someone what's wrong. I never thought I'd see that.

"Well," Cat says, "You see, Jade, the truth is that I like you too. Romantically I mean." Jade looks a little taken aback for a minute and then her face falls too.

"I didn't know that," Jade says, "I'm so sorry Cat." Cat shakes her head.

"No it's okay," she says, "I understand." She looks a little sad, so Jade goes over and then, shockingly, hugs Cat.

"I can't go out with you," she says, "But I wouldn't mind being friends."

"I'd like that," Cat says with a smile as her and Jade break apart.

"Great," Jade says grinning.

"Hey guys, I gotta run," I tell them, "Schools letting out. Time for me to go shopping for guitars."

"Yeah I should go too," Jade said, "See you Cat. And I really am sorry." Cat nods and the three of us all go our separate ways.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

(Jade's POV)

Tori still hasn't come back. Guess it's taking her a while to find the guitar she wants, even though she already had an idea in mind when she got there. I'm still feeling anxious as I lay back on her couch, staring at the ceiling. I kind of feel bad about Cat. I never knew that she felt that way about me. But I've committed myself to Tori now, so it is what it is. Not exactly a comforting thought. I hope Cat's okay. I know how anxious she can get when she gets rejected. I take a deep breath and keep laying back. This couch is kind of comfortable. No wonder I fall asleep so easily on it.

"I'm home," Tori announces, walking in through the door. Wow, I must have been out of it. I didn't even hear the door open.

"Welcome back," I tell her, "Did you find a good one?"

"Check it out," she says, hauling the guitar case over to me. She opens all the latches and reveals the instrument. I give an appreciative whistle.

"Nice," I tell her, "So you ready to learn how to play this thing?"

"Sure," she says.

"All right," I say, pulling the guitar out of it's case, "Now the first thing you have to do is tune it. See each string can be tightened individually and each string has a specific sound that it's intended to produce." I pluck the low E string and go down from there, checking the sound of each string. "Okay, so these are a little out of tune," I tell her, "Here's how you fix that." I demonstrate the tuning dials, showing her how each one tightens or loosens a different string and then I tweak them a bit and check the sounds again.

"All right," I tell her, "These are in tune. You'll have to retune them every so often, but you should be able to do that as long as you listen for the right sound. You'll know it's in tune when all the strings make the sounds they did a minute ago."

"Okay," Tori says, "So now what?"

"Now I can teach you," I tell her, "All right, first is the A Major. You position your fingers like this." I demonstrate the finger positioning. "Then you just play these strings," I say, positioning the fingers of my right hand and strumming the strings. The guitar produces a bright, cheery sound. Tori grins. "All right," I tell her, "Now let's hear yours." I hand her the guitar. She takes it uncertainly and positions her fingers the same way I did. "Loosen up a little," I tell her, "Your pressing too hard with your fingers. You're going to kill the sound."

"Right," she says, relaxing the fingers of her fretting hand a little. Once she has her fingers positioned, she plays the strings just like I showed her. The sound comes out just as crisp as it did for me.

"Nice," I tell her, "You're a natural. Now do it again." She does it again and again the beautiful sound of the A major is produced. "All right," I say, "You're gonna be rocking in no time." The lesson goes by pretty quickly. Tori's a fast learner and it doesn't take long to cover the basic chords. We also manage to get in the sevenths and stuff.

"That was so much fun," she says, "So what now?"

"Now we call it a day," I answer, "You've been working hard."

"Oh okay," she says, looking a little disappointed.

"You should spend the next few days practicing what I taught you," I tell her with a grin, "That way you can get really familiar and next time we can get you trying it out in some songs."

"Awesome!" she says, grinning.

(Tori's POV)

Jade's a really awesome teacher. If she keeps teaching me, I'll have this down in no time. I shoot her a smile and she returns it. "You know," I tell her, "That lesson worked up an appetite. Do burgers sound good?"

"Only every second of every day," she tells me laughing. I smile at her and go into the kitchen, looking in the fridge for hamburger patties. I'm sure we've got some in here somewhere. While I'm looking, the doorbell rings.

"I've got it," Jade says. I finally locate the burgers and turn around just in time to see Jade opening the door. Beck is standing there. I groan a little.

"What are you doing here, Beck?" I ask him.

"That's no way to greet someone who walked all the way here, Tori," he said, "I came to talk to Jade."

"I don't want to talk to you," Jade says harshly, "I thought I made it clear the last time that the conversation was over."

"I can't accept that," Beck says, "You can't just abandon me like this."

"Last time I checked, you abandoned her first Beck," I tell him, "You told her that she wasn't the girl you loved anymore. You can't take back something like that."

"I was wrong," he says, "It was a stupid thing to say." Jade's face softens a little at this, but she shakes her head.

"Thank you for saying that," Jade says, "You don't know how much it means. But it doesn't change anything. Tori and I are together now, Beck. This is my choice and I've made it." Beck looks defeated at these words and I feel a little sorry for him.

"I guess I should go then," he says, "I'm sorry that I couldn't make things right." He turns around and walks away. Jade shuts the door and turns back to me, looking a little said.

"That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," she says, "He really did come all this way to try and patch things up and I had to turn him away." She looks like she's about to cry.

"Do you regret it?" I ask her softly, walking over to place a hand on her shoulder.

"No," she says, shaking her head, "How could I ever regret the choice I made? This relationship we have is one of the best things that's ever happened to me."

"I'm glad to hear that," I tell her, "You shouldn't have to have any regrets about Beck. He's strong. He'll recover from this."

"Yeah," she says with a small smile, "I'm okay now. Come on, let's eat." I grin at her and we both go into the kitchen to start preparing the burgers.

(Beck's POV)

This sucks. Big time. But in a way I expected this result. Any spark between Jade and I seems to be gone forever. She's fully committed to Tori. It's my own fault for leaving her in the first place, so I suppose I'm not entitled to be upset about it, but here I am anyway. Now I'm taking the relatively short walk back to my place, thinking about how I blew it with Jade. I meant every word I said back there. The stuff I said to Jade when I broke up with her was stupid and there's nothing I wouldn't do to take it back, but it's like Tori said, I can't. I suppose I should just move on. It's not like Jade's the only girl on the planet. Maybe I'll ring up Alyssa Von again. We always got along pretty well. It would be a lot easier for us to hang out without Jade around.

As I walk up the driveway, I see a familiar shock of red hair outside of my RV. "Cat?" I call out, "What are you doing here?'

"Oh hey Beck," she says, turning to me, "I came to see you about that dialogue Sikowitz assigned us, but I guess you just got back. Where were you?"

"At Tori's place, trying to make up with Jade," I tell her, "I crashed and burned."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she says, looking a little said.

"Don't be," I tell her, "I guess this is what I get." I pause to think for a moment before looking at Cat. "Would you like to come in?" I offer, "I've got some day old pizza we can reheat."

"Oooh yay pizza," she says cheerfully, "Sure, count me in." I laugh and grab the key from my pocket. Soon enough, the door is open and the two of us walk inside.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

(Tori's POV)

It's been a couple of hours since Beck left. I'm glad that things seem to have worked out between the two of them, but now Jade looks a little upset. "Everything okay?" I ask her.

"Do you think Beck is all right?" she asks, "I was trying to let him down easy."

"Don't worry," I tell her, "Beck's a tough guy. He'll bounce back."

"You think?" she asks, "I don't want to hurt him or anything."

"He'll be fine," I tell her. Just after I finish that sentence, the door opens and my dad walks in from outside. "Oh, hey dad," I say, "Welcome home." Being a cop, my dad's out of the house a lot, so this is a nice surprise.

"Hey Tori," he says, "Who's this?"

"Oh, this is Jade West," I tell him, "She's crashing here for a while." His eyes darken a little.

"Tori, can I talk to you privately?" he asks me. I nod silently. I have a pretty good idea of what he wants to say, but I follow him into the kitchen anyway. "Do you know who that girl is, Tori?" he asks me.

"I know she's a friend of mine from school," I tell him, "Why, is there something else I should know?"

"Jade West has a history of running away from home," he tells me, "She even spent a month in jail for trying to steal a car. I don't think she should stay here. She's not a good influence." I try to stay calm, not wanting to raise my voice. I know my dad's concerns aren't that unreasonable and I understand them, but I have to convince him.

"Look," I tell him calmly, "You're the one who always tells me that if someone needed help and I had the power to do something about it, I should. Well Jade needs help. She needs someone to be there for her and right now that's me." He seems to be listening to my point of view, which is why I like him. He actually considers what I have to say, rather than just dismissing it like some parents would, like Jade's parents probably do. "Jade's a good person," I continue, "Even if she made a mistake sometime in the past, she deserves a second chance."

"I don't know about this Tori," he says, although his voice isn't as firm as before.

"Look, just give her a shot," I tell him, "She went through something really rough recently and she can't go face her parents." He considers for a moment and then sighs.

"All right," he says, "It seems like you really believe in what you're doing and I can respect that. She's welcome to stay as long as she likes, but there are two conditions."

"Name them," I tell him, figuring I can handle whatever they are.

"First, I have to tell her parents that she's here. They have a right to know where she is." I nod at this one. It seems fair enough. "Second, you're responsible for making sure that she stays in line." I nod again. That won't be a problem. Jade's not the type do anything crazy. Or at least, not anymore apparently. He smiles at me and walks upstairs. I turn around to head back to the living room and see Jade standing there.

"You heard all of that?" I ask her.

"Most of it," she says, "I'm causing you a lot of trouble aren't I?"

"No," I say, shaking my head, "Having you here is no trouble at all. I want you to stay." She sighs a bit, sounding relieved. "Is it true?" I ask her.

"Is what true?" she asks.

"Did you really try and steal a car once?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says, "In middle school. Part of a time I'd rather forget."

"Sure," I say, understanding, "Consider it forgotten." I smile at her and she smiles back. "So, is having your parents know you're here going to be a problem?" She shakes her head and laughs.

"They're the two most self absorbed people in the world, remember?" she says with a grin, "I don't think you have to worry about them pounding down the door to take me home. They're probably too busy heaping praise on little miss perfect."

"You know, she is your sister Jade," Tori said, "I'm sure she irritates you, but you should probably try and deal with her. I mean, look at me and Trina. Sometimes she really bugs me, but I still care about her, you know."

"I know I should," Jade says, staring at the ground, "But it's like we're on different wavelengths. Everything always goes back to how much better she seems to be than I am."

"She's not better than you," I assure her, "She's just different. She's good at academics and you're good at creative stuff. Anyone who thinks one is better than the other is just plain wrong." Jade appears lost in thought.

"I never really looked at it that way," she says after a moment, "I guess it would be nice to make peace with my sister. I mean, she is family and in a lot of ways I've been really unfair to her." She suddenly lets out a loud laugh.

"What's so funny?" I ask her.

"Whenever I'm around you, it's like I see things a lot more clearly," she tells me, "Like all the stuff that normally disturbs me is just sort of gone."

"Glad I can be of help," I say, yawning.

"I can see that you're getting tired," she says, "Let's get some rest. Tomorrow's a weekend, so rest up and maybe we can try out that guitar of yours in a song or two."

"Cool," I tell her, "Sweet dreams Jade."

"You too," she says with a grin.

(Cat's POV)

I had the most awesome time with Beck tonight, considering that all we were doing was chatting while eating day old pizza. I never said "What's that supposed to mean?" once. I didn't even feel anxious. I guess being around a laid back guy like Beck has that effect on people. Just listening to him talk seemed to calm me down. I can sort of see what Jade saw in him. He's not just attractive, he's a pretty nice guy too. Although, I guess Jade probably wouldn't see him that way now. Not after such a messy break up. I feel kind of bad for her. For both of them really. They had a really good relationship, but now it's gone. Well, I guess I should just be glad that the two of them are doing okay without each other.

Beck and I decided that we would try our hands at dating each other. I'm not really sure that I'm the right fit for him, but it's worth a shot right? Anyway, I'm home now, lounging in my room with a huge smile on my face.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

(Tori's POV)

I'm woken up by the sunlight shining in through my looks like it's going to be a beautiful day out today. I chance a glance over at the alarm clock on my desk. It's about 10:30 in the morning. I take a deep breath and crawl out of bed, taking the time to carefully remake my bed. The walk downstairs doesn't take too long. The first thing I notice is that Jade has once again managed to roll off the couch. I kneel next to her on the ground and gently nudge her shoulder. This seems to be enough to wake her up. Apparently she's a heavy enough sleeper not to be woken up by hitting the ground, but a light enough one to be woken up by being touched. Then again, maybe it's because it's early in the morning and she's not in as deep a sleep. I'd have to ask a neuroscientist.

"Morning sleepyhead," I tell her.

"Tori?" she asks, "How did I get on the floor?"

"You toss and turn in your sleep," I tell her, "I should get you a sleeping bag, then you can just sleep down there."

"Oh ha-ha," she says sarcastically, "Help me up will you?" I laugh and return to a standing position, then reach down with one hand. Jade takes it and I pull her to her feet.

"Look seriously, are you okay?" I ask her, "I don't want you to get hurt because you keep rolling off the couch."

"I'll be fine," she says, "This always happens when I sleep in new places. Once my body gets used to the couch, I'll stop tossing."

"Glad to hear it," I tell her, "Hey, you want some breakfast? I can make us some sausage and eggs in no time."

"That sounds delicious," she says, "But you know, I can cook. I don't really want to impose." There she goes again, still worrying that she's causing trouble.

"It's not an imposition," I tell her, "You're my guest here and we _are _dating after all. Breakfast is my treat." She still looks a little uncomfortable. "Tell you what," I tell her, "If it's that important to you, you can make lunch this afternoon." She smiles a little.

"Sounds like a deal," she says, "You'll love my Chicken Katsu." My mouth must be starting to water at the thought. I love Asian food. It's right up there with Mexican food.

"Can't wait," I say, "Now then, sausage and eggs coming up."

"Mmm," she says, "So as I was falling asleep last night, I thought of a song that you could play on your guitar. It's really cool and it would be awesome with your voice."

"What song?" I ask her.

"It's by Matchbox Twenty," she says, "It's called Unwell."

"Oh yeah I know that song," I tell her excitedly, "You really think I'm good enough to play that on the guitar?"

"Definitely," she answers with a grin. I'm still getting used to her smile. It's really quite beautiful.

"I should invite Andre over," I say, grinning, "He'll want to see it."

"Awesome," Jade says laughing, "Oh and Cat too. She wouldn't miss this for the world. I'll have her bring a camera so we can get the whole thing on film."

"Whoa, film?" I ask, not sure about that.

"Well yeah," she says, "Gotta immortalize the first one."

"I guess," I say, "But what if I choke?"

"You're not gonna choke," she tells me, "You'll be just fine."

"You sure?" I ask her.

"Have a little faith in yourself," she answers, "You're Tori Vega and you're awesome. You can handle this." She flashes me the biggest smile she's shown me yet.

"All right," I say, breathing deeply, "In that case it sounds like fun. But there's one thing."

"What?" she asks me, looking intrigued.

"I want you to sing it with me," I tell her.

"Me?" she asks, sounding surprised.

"Yeah," I tell her, "You have a really great singing voice, you know."

"The only time you've heard me sing is during that final scene in the musical and I was in the background," she protests, "I could barely be heard. How do you know I can sing?"

"Because I was listening," I tell her with a smile, "You're voice is beautiful Jade. It was then and I bet it still is now." She appears to debate the matter for a moment, then nods.

"All right," she says, "Count me in."

"Cool," I tell her, "I'll call them later, but for now, let me make up some breakfast."

(Jade's POV)

This is delicious. I know it's just scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese mixed in and some pan-cooked sausage links, but this is one of the best meals I've ever had. Even better than the fancy stuff we would eat at home. I guess the company has to do with that. I find that for once I can eat slowly rather than trying to finish the meal in a rush. At my place I could never get away from the dinner table fast enough. Probably because I was tired of watching my parents heap so much praise on Erin. Speaking of her, I'm feeling something weighing on my mind that I want to ask Tori about.

"Hey Tori?" I ask her.

"Hmmm?" she asks, looking up from her plate.

"I need your advice," I tell her, "How should I go about making up with my sister? I mean, I've really been kind of mean to her over the years, so I know I should apologize, but what do I do after that?"

"Well," she says, "I think the first step would be to find something you two can talk about. I mean, you're sisters. No matter how different you are, there has to be something that links you two, right?"

"I guess," I tell her, "Well, we both love this mystery novelist named Lisa Gardner. I guess if I got her one of those novels, that would be a good start."

"See, there you go," Tori says with a smile, "Do that and I'm sure you two will be made up in no time."

"You're really good at this sort of thing, aren't you?" I ask her. To my surprise, she shakes her head.

"No," she tells me, "I mean, I just have a lot of experience dealing with sisters."

"Yeah I guess you do," I tell her laughing.

"Hey, we'd better keep eating before these get cold," she says. I nod and begin to dig back into my eggs.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

(Andre's POV)

So Tori called me over to her house for some reason. I don't know why, but you know me. Whenever a friend calls me, I'm there in a flash, which is the reason I'm walking up her driveway and heading through the door.

"Hey Tori," I greet her, "What's up?" As soon as I walk in I notice two things: One, Tori's holding a guitar and two, Jade West is lounging on Tori's couch.

"Hey Andre," she says, "You're just in time."

"Okay, but what am I in time for?" I ask her.

"Well, as soon as Cat gets here I'm gonna play a song on this guitar," she tells me.

"Well that's cool," I answer, "Is that why she's here?"

"It's one reason," she says, "Is it going to be a problem?" Her eyes are narrowed a bit.

"No," I say, deciding diplomacy is the way to go here, "Any friend of yours is a friend of mine." Jade smiles a bit, which seems weird to me. I've never really seen her smile before. It's kind of refreshing. I want to compliment her smile, but I never get a chance because Cat comes walking through the door and Beck of all people is behind her.

"I invited Beck too," Cat says, "I hope that's okay." Tori looks nervously at Jade.

"It's cool," Jade says, "I'll be all right."

"All right then," Beck says, pulling up a seat. I notice he picks the one as far away from Jade as possible.

"I brought the camera," Cat says, taking it out of her backpack, "So are we gonna do this or not?"

"Right on," Tori says, picking up the guitar, "Ready Jade?"

"As I'll ever be," Jade answers. Tori takes a deep breath and signals cat to record. Tori unceremoniously begins playing her guitar. I recognize this song opening and I also hear something us. Tori's really good. Jade must have been teaching her. Once the intro is done, Tori begins to sing.

"All day, staring at the ceiling making friends with shadows on my wall," she sings.

"All night, hearing voices telling me that I should get some sleep because tomorrow might be good for something," Jade sings, joining in. Her voice is really beautiful. They sing the next part together.

"Hold on, feeling like I'm headed for a break time and I don't know why, but I'm not crazy I'm just a little unwell, I know right now you can't tell, but stay a while and maybe then you'll see a different side of me. I'm not crazy I'm just a little impaired, I know right now you don't care, but soon enough you're gonna think of me and how I used to be." I can see that they're really enjoying themselves and they really sound awesome. Jade sings the next part alone.

"Talking to myself in public, dodging glances on the train and I know, I know they've all been talking about me I can hear them whisper and it makes me think there must be something wrong with me. Out of all the hours thinking somehow I've lost my mind." After this line, they effortlessly sing the chorus together again. Did those two practice this together or something? Sure seems like it.

Tori sings the bridge alone. "I've been talking in my sleep, pretty soon they'll come to get me, yeah they're taking me away." They go into the chorus one more to finish off the song.

"That was awesome," Beck says after a minute of silence, "You two were great."

"This is gonna make such a cool video," Cat says, "Come on, give a victory pose for the camera." Tori sets her guitar down and Jade comes over to her and throws her arm around Tori's shoulder. The two of them smile for the camera and throw up victory sings with their fingers. It's kind of a cool moment.

"You two killed it," I say as Cat shuts off the camera, "That really rocked."

"Thanks," Tori says, "I wasn't really sure about this, but I'm glad that you guys liked it."

"See?" Jade says grinning, "I told you this would be awesome."

"I guess I shouldn't have doubted you," Tori said.

"Got that right," Jade cracks, grinning at Tori, "Seriously though, you did great."

"So did you," Tori says, suddenly planting a small kiss on Jade's lips. Okay, now I'm starting to wonder if I missed something here. Ever since she started hanging with Tori, Jade's actually been pleasant to be around and now they just kissed. I thought all the talk about those two dating was just a rumor, but it looks like it wasn't.

"What are you looking out Harris?" Jade asks me.

"Oh, nothing," I tell her, "Look, I gotta get out of here. I have this family thing. Sorry I couldn't stay longer."

"Oh all right," Jade says, "See you Andre."

A friendly goodbye from Jade? Wow, this is weird. I decide to head out of the door before this gets any weirder.

(Tori's POV)

I'm surprised that the video was a success. I guess Cat will be putting online.

"Umm, we have to go too," Beck says, looking at Cat. The word "we" doesn't escape me and I don't think it's lost on Jade either. She seems okay though. I guess she really is over Beck once and for all. We wave goodbye from the porch as Cat and Beck head off together.

"Good for her," Jade says, smiling a little.

"It doesn't make you angry?" I ask her.

"No," she says, "Cat's a good girl. I'm happy for her." She's shifting a little uncomfortably.

"Is something else bothering you then?" I ask her.

"Well," she says, "You know I really appreciate you letting me stay here right?"

"Yeah I know," I tell her.

"Well, I think it's time that I go home," she says, "I want to try and set things straight at home instead of just staying here and avoiding my problems."

"I see," I tell her, "I think that's a good idea too. But I do want you remember that I'm always here for you. If you ever feel like you need to get away for a while or you just want to hang out, feel free to call."

"I'd like that," Jade says with a grin, "Can I have a kiss for the road?" I nod. I'm more than willing to grant that request. I place my arms gently around Jade and kiss her on the lips. Her response is soft, but passionate. We break away after a minute or two.

"Thanks," she says, "I love you Tori."

"Love you too Jade," I tell her with a smile. She grabs her bag from beside the couch and walks out the door. I stand on the back porch watching her head for her car, which she parked on the street.

"Hey sis," she's saying, "You wanna go hang out somewhere?" That's all I'm able to hear before she disappears out of sight. Moments later, I hear the sound of her car driving away.

(End of Story)

**A/N: If you're a fan of this story, don't fret. There will be some kind of sequel story. It may even be a crossover. I'm just dealing with finals stuff right now, so it won't be right away.**


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